12 



THE FARM AND GARDEN. 



"V^ox.. rv., 2>ro. A^II- 



CONTENTS OF THIS NUMBER. 



Page 1.— Banana Plant— Farmers' Home Garden. 

 . Page 2.— The Danger of Hasl^ Conclusions. Too Early 

 PlaDting. Mississippi, Another Cheap Cis- 

 tern. 

 Page 3.— Employers and Employes. Intepsive Farm- 

 ing. 

 Have an Orchard ? 



The Winter Killed It. Fruit 



Page 4. 

 Page 5. 



-Hyde's Keeper. 

 "Notes. 

 Page 6.— Our Flower Garden. 

 Page 7.— Our Flower Garden (contioued). 

 Page 8.— Live Stock. 

 Page 9.— Broilers. Feeding Cooked ;\raterial 



play of Market Poultry. How Many Eggs 

 Will a Hen Lay ? The Best Breeds for Cold 



A Dis- 



. i^gf 

 The Best Breeds for Col 

 Climates. 



Page 10.— Aunt Hester's Doctorinp. Let in the Sun- 

 shine. The Greenwood Tree, 



Page 11.— Odds and Ends. 



Page 12.— Editorial Comment. 



Page 13.— Clippings. 



Page 14.— Correspondence. 



Page 1-5.— March Wind. 



Page 16.— A Collection. 



eDimOI^IALi (©OMMBMIP. 



March. Spring's morning beprins to dawn, and 

 iBUsheref' in with tin* jubilant notesof the "Cock 

 Bobin " ana Ills niati'S. 



Aft-er a long spell of rest, of comparative ease 

 and domestic enjoyment, the farmer Ih now 

 ready to cortimence with the execution of the 

 plans so carefully studied out durint; the long 

 evenings and blustery days of the winter just 

 gone by. 



Having resolved to grow more grain and fewer 

 weeds, he makes a iKginning by careftiUy clean- 

 ing his seed grain. 



He knows tlial it is better to change grain, 

 ■wanted for seed, with a neighbor, wlio is known 

 to have nice, plump, and clean seed, at a sacritice, 

 or to buy good seed at a good prl<'e, than to use 

 poor seed wliicli lie clianccs to iiavc on hand. 



He selects and tests his seed corn and garden 

 Feeds. 



He examines his tools and harness, and makes 

 the necessary repairs. 



He rinisties drawing logs and wtu>d, suid when 

 the lire-wood is all sawed, split, and corded up, 

 he gctJ* out a cord or so of kindiing wood ff.r .is 

 wife or hired girl, well knowing, that the *' ^\oi;.cn 

 folks" on the farm tlnd enough to do without 

 having to hunt all over the place for material 

 wherewith to kindle the tire every time they 

 want to get tlinner or supper. 



He profits by a late fall of snow to draw manure 

 and otlier things, on runners instead of wheels. 



He selects the finest and richest manure for the 

 garden, and puts it on thick. 



He cleans his cellar, removes rotten apples and 

 ■vegetables, sorts over and sprouts potaioto, 

 sprinkles air-slacked lime, carbonate or chloride 

 of lime, or some other disinfectant over the floor 

 and walls and bins. 



He picks up around the back door and removes 

 everything of a dul>ious nature or suspicious 

 ecent, that has accumulal<jd there during the 

 winter. 



He cleans the hen-house, ditto the pig-pen, and 

 takes the manure to the garden. 



He tinishes trimming tlie orcliard, cuts out the 

 old raspberry canes, and gives trees and small 

 fruits a liberal dressing of manure. 



When evt^rything else is ready, and the ground 

 dry enough t« crumble, he starts the plow, but 

 never before. 



'* Well shaken liefore taken " applies with a 

 great deal of force to the compost heap. 



This scramble after success and prosperity is 

 like hauling produce to market or logs to the 

 sawmill. One man takes the aflvant^ge of a nice 

 body of snow and with his two tons upon a sleigh, 

 draws his load in one third the time and much 

 easier than another, who goes with one ton upon 

 the wagon, over a rough and hubby road. 



Or like going to the station to take the train. 

 One person knows the right time, and ** catches " 

 the train. Another goes it hit-or-miss, and is 

 behind time. 



Our readers may be sure that the amount of hard 

 work is of less importance than doing the right 

 thing at the rifeht time, and that a little intelli- 

 gence (brains) often outweighs a heap of bodily 

 labor. 



We do not believe that the farmer should select 

 the roughest road, and kill himself with hard 

 work; and it is always our aim to show him 

 easier highways or short cuts to success. 



If hog cholera, as now generally conceded, is 

 transferred by bacteria, neither care in feeding 

 nor clfcinliness can prevent its spread. Bacteri- 

 cides, such as carbolic acid or chloride of lime, 



properly diluted and brought into the organism 

 of the diseased animal (through the food), will 

 most likely prove to be an eflective remedy. 



We dislike to admit that the primitive methods 

 of raising hogs, so prevalent in the South, cannot 

 be charged with even a share of the blame for the 

 destructiveness of the hog cholera during the 

 past season, and we believe that the root-hog-or- 

 die system, should yield to the eat-and-g row-fat 

 plan. 



Many parts of the South are admirably adapted 

 to profitable hog raising. But the consumer 

 wants meat, not merely skin and liones, though 

 it may be prudent for the Virginian to have hogs 

 that can *' outrun the nigger." Hogs, (rather 

 fewer in number), but kept clean, well-fed and 

 fattened with good corn instead of filth, will 

 prove much more satisfactory and more protita- 

 ble to all concerned, than the half-wild stock of 

 to-day. 



Excessively dry weather last fall has prevented 

 the setting of a great many trees and shrubs, 

 particularly in the Middle and .Southern Atlantic 

 States. If you wish to plant this spring, remem- 

 ber that it is well to do so early, yet, that the 

 time of setting out is of less consequence than 

 doing it %vfll. Trees need as good soil, and this as 

 well prepared, as any other cmp. 



The roots of trees and plants, when received 

 from the nursery, sh<mld be tiioroughly soaked 

 in water and not exposed to the drying influence 

 of sun and wind. Prune tlie tops severely, par- 

 ticularly in the case of peach trees, press the soli 

 firmly around the roots, and stake every tree 

 which is top-heavy, like tall apple trees. 



We cannot too strongly urge the farmer to 

 annually grow a few peach, pear, and apple trees 

 from seed. Some grape vines, currants, and 

 gooseberry bushes, and so forth, from <'uttingK. 

 Budding and grafting is soon learned by practice, 

 and you can show your boy how to do It. When 

 you (or your neighbor) want a tree or two, or 

 something of that sort, you know where to find 

 just what you need. 



It is the culmination of folly to presume that an 

 acre is required lor tlie purpose, unless you wish 

 to supply your wiiole town. A lew .square rods 

 are sufficient, and may be made a source of much 

 pleasure, instruction and profit; for "a penny 

 saved is a penny earned." 



in one of our exchanges we notice some reports 

 on egg-farnxing. Several parties in the North- 

 eastern States, who keep from I50to2tX) herseach, 

 figure out their annual net profits to be between 

 Si.25 and S"J.OO for each hen. But when they state 

 their ** secret of success," the matter seems to be 

 more in a. muddle than ever. One attributes suc- 

 cess to the fact that he feeds nothing but soft 

 food, another to his feeding nothing but whole 

 grain, a third, to a warm and weather-proof build- 

 ing, while a fourth thinks that thorough ventilar 

 Won, alTorded by an open shed, to be the real 

 secret of Ills good luck. 



We have experimented with less than half the 

 smaller named number of fowls, but with results 

 highly satisfactory to us. Our hen house might 

 l)e greatly improved, it is true; at least we think 

 that our lujis, with a smaller supply of ventila- 

 tion, afforded by numerous cracks, would have 

 done still better. As it is, they have laid well 

 this winter. 



The secret of our success is in tlie first place — 

 carli/-hatche(t jnUleti; next — stimulating food In 

 judicious (pumtity ; third— warmth supplied by a 

 cooked break fast and warm drink (milk or water). 



The fact that our old hens, which are only one 

 year older than the pullets, have laid not ncaiii/so 

 ifftf as the 'lounger stnrk, warrants us in laying 

 particular emphasis on "early-hatched pullets'" 

 for winter layers; and as one dozen eggs in win- 

 ter, is as good jistwoinfthesummer, or nearly so, 

 the profitableness of pullets is obvious. 



Early liatelied pullets, however, are not inseiv 

 arable from failures. Our neighbor has pullets 

 of t he same age as ours, but did not get an e^ in 

 the colder part of the winter. 



We give our fowls a good, warnx breakfast every 

 morning, often seasoned with salt and Cayenne 

 pepper, warm milk or water to drink, a suffi- 

 ciency of chopped apples, beets, potatoes, cab- 

 bage, and other vegetables; oaU^ in the hundie and 

 wheat thrown among leaves and litter, to make 

 them scratch ; an abundau e of meal, bone, lime, 

 etc.; and for supper, a dose of whole corn, often 

 charred on the cob. 



Hens thus treated, are compelled to lay, whether 

 they wish to or not. We advise you to raise 

 chickens as early as possible, say in March and 

 April, to take good care of them while growing, 

 and you will have fowls beginning to lay in early 

 fall. 



Luck is very good, but pluck is better. The 

 former cannot always be depended upon ; the lat- 

 ter helps us out of every difficulty without fail. 

 Farmers, make a note of this I 



Here is another contribution to our list of popu- 

 lar errors. Try to steer dear of such mistakes as 

 to think that the old sheep should be kept over. 

 That old hogs are more profitable than thrifty 

 growing pigs. That old steers still grow into 

 money. That old hens lay better than earlv- 

 hatched pullets. That it is easier to "shoo" the 

 chickens out of the garden all summer long, than 

 to keep them out by a good picket-fence. ' That 

 you will repair matters at once by getting one 

 or more settings of eggs frf>m your neighbor 

 whose hens laid all winter, while yours did not. 

 That it was more due to the "breed" than to 

 the " feed." That it is'too much trouble to raise 

 what berries and vegetables your family wants- 

 That you must buy a new buggy for your boy, or 

 a new organ for your daughter, before your wife 

 is provided with clothes-wringer, washing, and 

 sewing machines. That you and your family can 

 afitord to do without at least a round half-dozen 

 of good papers and magazines, agricultural and 

 otherwise. That the trash, known as story 

 papers (Family Heralds, etc.), and cheap novels 

 are not worth one penny a ream, ^^Y fit reading for 

 either old or young. That wool will not recover 

 its former firm stand in the market, unless the 

 tariff' is doctored. That wheat will always be as 

 low as it is now. That a fat law suit is belterthan, 

 a lean settlement. That <iuarrelling farmer's 

 boys, when they bring their troubles and fracas 

 into c<)nrt, do not cut a deplorably sorry figure. 

 That all well-water is wholesome because it looks 

 clear. That rotting potatoes in the cellar do not 

 endanger the health of the people living in the 

 room above. That horses should be over-worked, 

 ill-fed and ill-treated, merely because they are 

 old and not worth much. 



[N. H.— If you have a neighbor, who cruelly mis- 

 uses his poor old teams, by all means report him 

 to Bergh's agent, or give him a sound tl'./ashing, 

 which he richly deserves]. 



What this country, and particularly the South- 

 ern part of it. needs, is more wind-milU to pump 

 dean water for stock. au<l fewer stagnant pools^ 

 (We do not like to drink milk, manufactured out 

 of thick, slimy mud. which had served as a place 

 for the hogs to wallow in. as we have seen it dur- 

 ing last summer's drouth.) 



When we read so many recipes for cakes and 

 sweetmeats, calling for eight, ten or twelve eggs 

 each, we feel dyspeptic at once. The farmer 

 deserves a gtKHl table. Set that down as a fact. 

 He should have the best bread; nice, mealy pota- 

 toes; good meat, fish, poultry, eggs; every kind 

 of vegetable in its season, and an aljundant sup- 

 ply of the choii-est fruits. 



Eggs are much more wholesome alone, and 

 more palatable, too. than in rich piistry. pies, 

 and nic-nacs. Times are iiard. Eggs are high. 

 Hconomize in the composition of dyspepsia food. 



And still we find the "four per cent, loan " ad- 

 vertisements, and others of the same fraudulent 

 stamp, in some of our Agricultural contempor- 

 aries. The Ohio Fmmfr gives^a quarter page of 

 space to the lotterj scliemes of the " Farming 

 World," of Chica^Oj merely because "they are 

 willing to pay for it. ' 



Sucli advertisements leave a stain on your 

 pages, brethren, that can neither be covered up 

 by the rose-tint of the "Farmers Ouide." nor 

 wiped out by editorial notices of t he Ohio Fnrmery 

 to the effV'ct, that those fools who will be taken in 

 by these ad's, deserve to be swindled and should 

 blame none but themselves. Shame on yout 

 Physic is what you need ! 



The workman is known by his chips, the thrifty 



farmer by his wood pile, but without chips. H« 

 saws his wood ; does not chop it with the axe. 



Every farmer should have a separate small 

 yard, near the house, for the little chickens while 

 they run with their mothers. Get out some stuff 

 for fences and coops now. 



We would say to our friends that you will all 

 get the premiums and pai>ers in due season. We 

 are as anxious for you to get them at once, as you 

 are; but sometimes the mails are slow, but are 

 pretty sure to arrive at last. We sliall send all 

 the premiums and the papers, for we want you to 

 have them and read The Fakm and Garden 

 regularly. We want you to have every number. 



We shall send the potato bulb and rose and 

 quince premiums as soon as the spring is ad- 

 vanced far enough to send safely. We want our 

 premiums to reach our subscribers in gCMid order* 

 and will send them as soon as safe to do so. ■ 



The "Farm and Garden^' rOes slow on new 

 things until after it has tried them. Never diS' 

 cards a good thing became it w old. Neeer rec 

 ommends a poor thing new or old. That's the 

 way we do and our readers like it. 



